Chapter 45: The Scholar and the Beauty
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Tian Yachun was determined to get what she wanted and refused to leave Zhang Chen’s home.
The Zhang family had a side compound, and the eastern compound contained two smaller courtyards.
With no other choice, Zhang Chen allowed the stubborn Tian Yachun to stay in the courtyard on the western side of the eastern compound.
Futou Village was a pirate village, so the Zhang Village militia had committed no crime by raiding it. If Futou Village had been an ordinary fishing village, it would not have been strange for the entire village’s possessions to amount to little more than two thousand taels of silver.
Zhao Chengxuan, Liu Lige, and Liu Zongyuan had rushed to Zhang Village hoping to divide up Futou Village’s wealth and make a fortune. Now they were furious and frustrated, unable to make up their minds.
At this crucial moment, Shi Keren, who had misspoken earlier, stepped forward. He glanced at Zhang Chen and said, “Sharp tongue, empty verbal sparring is meaningless. The old man misspoke just now. Futou Village is an ordinary fishing village. Hand over those two thousand and more taels of silver.”
They could not have come all this way for nothing. More than two thousand taels was no small sum, and Shi Keren felt that, as Futou Village’s representative, he could claim at least five hundred taels.
“Zhang Chen, do you really think we do not know the total value of the gold and silver treasures, fine silks, satin, iron, and other goods your Zhang Village seized from Qishan Garrison and Futou Village?”
Liu Zongyuan, the judicial officer of Dengzhou Prefecture, cast Zhang Chen a cold look. “Even if Hundred-Household Yang Fuli of the Embroidered Uniform Guard says nothing, I can find out within a day.”
Although Hundred-Household Officer Yang Fuli of the Embroidered Uniform Guard did not have a hundred spies under his command, he still had more than a dozen subordinates. He knew that the gold and silver treasures and other goods seized by Zhang Village from Qishan Garrison and Futou Village were worth nearly four hundred thousand taels in total.
Liu Zongyuan, the judicial officer of Dengzhou Prefecture, had more than a hundred constables under him. He could determine the total value of the gold and silver treasures and other goods Zhang Village had taken from Qishan Garrison and Futou Village. He said:
“We will let the people go. Regardless of whether those who committed atrocities in Futou Village that night were temporary workers hired by your Zhang Village militia, we will not demand that you hand them over.”
“Hand over half the goods. Zhang Village will give us two hundred thousand taels of silver, and the matter of Futou Village will be considered settled. Otherwise, we will first strip you of your status as a student licentiate and ban you from taking the imperial examinations for life. The punishments that follow will be even harsher!”
Liu Zongyuan took a sip of water. Zhang Chen would not yield until he saw the coffin, so he had no choice but to reveal his trump card, threaten him, and force him to submit.
“You certainly can find out. More than a hundred people escaped from Futou Village that night. Grab a few of them, and you will easily discover whether Futou Village was truly a pirate village.”
Zhang Chen looked at Liu Zongyuan with disdain. “Strip me of my status as a student licentiate and ban me from taking the imperial examinations for life? Commissioner Liu, what an impressive tone. Go ahead and frighten me to death!”
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“You are being unreasonable now. Do you really think you have me at your mercy? The three of you should know this: I am still a physician, and I cured the malignant abscess afflicting Young Master Xu Zize, the eldest legitimate son of Commissioner Xu of the Provincial Administration Commission. Dengzhou Prefecture cannot cover the entire sky with one hand. Do not force me to go to the provincial governor’s office in Jinan and lodge a complaint.”
Zhang Chen calmly looked at Zhao Chengxuan, Liu Lige, and Liu Zongyuan.
“I am a good man. To avoid damaging our relations, I can give you fine silks and satins or copper ingots worth fifty thousand taels of silver. But in return, you must give me Liu Village, Futou Village, all the land belonging to Liu Village and Futou Village—including farmland, mountain land, and beaches—and Futou Village’s dock.”
He could no longer be bothered to waste words on this band of unwelcome guests. Zhang Chen turned and walked out.
“Oh, that reminds me. Old Tian—no, Magistrate Tian—the heads of the Japanese pirates and ordinary pirates, including the heads of Tojo Hideki and Yokomichi Keiji, are no longer wanted by Zhang Village in exchange for the rewards. Discuss it among yourselves. If you disagree, bring on whatever tricks you like. Whatever methods you use, I, Zhang Chen, also known as Zhang Chuyang, will see them through to the end!”
Yokomichi Keiji was also a major criminal wanted by the authorities, and his head could be exchanged for one thousand taels of silver.
After Zhang Chen left the reception hall, his voice drifted back inside. “Do not disturb the officials while they deliberate. Everyone from Zhang Village, come out. Gentlemen from Dengzhou City, the world grows more chaotic by the day. In truth, I am not determined to sit the imperial examinations.”
Fine silks and satins referred to various exquisite silk fabrics. To Zhang Village at present, they were luxury goods.
Since Zhang Chen was not casting bronze cannon and did not currently plan to mint copper coins, copper ingots and fine silks were both dispensable to Zhang Village.
Their strength was still too weak for Zhang Chen to keep everything for himself. He intended to give Zhao Chengxuan and the others fine silks or copper ingots worth fifty thousand taels.
Zhang Village had seized fine silks and satins worth a total of thirty thousand taels. Once Zhang Chen decided to hand over the fabrics, he sent Xia Hua to the storehouse to choose the pieces she liked.
Everyone from Zhang Village had left. Tian Xuewen cursed Zhang Chen under his breath, then looked at Zhao Chengxuan, Liu Lige, and Liu Zongyuan.
“Liu Village, Futou Village, all the land belonging to Liu Village and Futou Village—including farmland, mountain land, and beaches—and Futou Village’s dock are ownerless now. We could indeed give them to Zhang Chen, but the area is too vast for me to decide on my own.”
There was no need to tear relations with Zhang Chen apart completely. Tian Xuewen urged Zhao Chengxuan, Liu Lige, and Liu Zongyuan, the three-man investigation team, to accept Zhang Chen’s proposal.
“Gentlemen, Zhang Chen truly can communicate with the provincial governor in Jinan. Harmony is the most precious thing. Of course, I am merely making a suggestion.”
Zhang Chen had confessed his love for Xu Zihan, the legitimate daughter of Xu Congzhi, Governor of the Shandong Provincial Administration Commission, several times in public. On one occasion, he had even completed half of the poem “The Ballad of Mulan” on the spot while pursuing her.
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Zhang Chen could be called a secondhand man of talent, while Xu Zihan was an unmistakable beauty. In the Great Ming, stories about talented men and beautiful women spread with extraordinary ease.
The story of Zhang Chen and Xu Zihan—the story that could not be told without being told—had already spread throughout Dengzhou Prefecture along with those half-written lines from “The Ballad of Mulan,” and was quickly making its way across the Great Ming.
Zhao Chengxuan, Liu Lige, and Liu Zongyuan of the three-man investigation team knew about the remarkable story between Zhang Chen and Xu Zihan. They also knew that Zhang Chen had cured the malignant abscess afflicting Young Master Xu Zize, the eldest legitimate son of Xu Congtai, Governor of the Provincial Administration Commission, at the Ma Family Clinic in Fushan County.
Xu Zize’s illness was no longer serious, and an ordinary physician could now complete the cure. The previous afternoon, he had set out for Jinan City with Xu Zihan.
Zhang Chen truly could bring the matter of Futou Village before the provincial governor’s office in Jinan. Zhao Chengxuan, chief adviser to Sun Yuanhua, Governor of Denglai, quietly conferred for a while with Liu Lige, the assistant military commander of Denglai, and Liu Zongyuan, the judicial officer of Dengzhou Prefecture.
Driving Zhang Chen into desperate action served no one’s interests. In the end, Liu Zongyuan, the judicial officer of Dengzhou Prefecture, said to Tian Xuewen:
“After I return to Dengzhou City, I will report this to the prefect. The prefect will issue an order assigning Zhang Village the administration of Liu Village, Futou Village, all the land belonging to Liu Village and Futou Village—including farmland, mountain land, and beaches—and Futou Village’s dock.”
Fushan County fell under the jurisdiction of the appropriate prefecture, and the prefect of Dengzhou had the authority to give Zhang Chen these ownerless properties: Liu Village, Futou Village, their farmland, mountain land, beaches, and Futou Village’s dock.
Zhao Chengxuan, Liu Lige, and Liu Zongyuan of the three-man investigation team decided to accept Zhang Chen’s proposal. Without consulting Shi Keren, the representative of the victims, or Qi Dazhi, another victim, they sent someone to find Zhang Chen.
Young as he was, Zhang Chen yielded neither to force nor persuasion. He was exceedingly difficult to deal with.
Zhao Chengxuan, Liu Lige, and Liu Zongyuan all wanted to settle the matter of Qishan Garrison and Futou Village as quickly as possible and leave Zhang Village.
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